A Single Life Spared
by KrispyBaconator
Summary: We've all heard this story: fifteen students trapped in Hope's Peak Academy are forced into a killing game where they're incentivized to kill someone and get away with it. But this time, something changes and the killing game takes a new path. It's funny what a single life spared can cause.
1. Chapter 1, Part 1

_Ding dong bong bing!_

"A body has been discovered! Everyone, please report to the gym!"

Kiyotaka "Taka" Ishimaru, the Ultimate Moral Compass, could barely hear Monokuma's announcement over his own shock. He stood in the middle of his classmate's room, staring at the horrifying sight before him.

Makoto Naegi, Ultimate Lucky Student, who they had heard scream not too long ago, was passed out in the doorway to his bathroom.

And in the bathroom itself, was the bloodied corpse of Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Idol Singer, slumped against the wall, a kitchen knife sticking out of her stomach.

The only other person standing in the room was Kyoko Kirigiri, who had yet to tell anyone what her Ultimate Talent was. Her face was dark and calculating as she observed the scene.

"Go get someone to help you carry Makoto," she said abruptly, causing Taka to jump. "Then get to the gym."

Taka had no idea how to respond. He simply nodded and dashed out of the room.

…

About an hour later, Makoto groggily opened his eyes, wincing at the gym's bright overhead lighting. Suddenly, he jolted back up. "Wait, Sayaka! I-"

"Don't bother running to her," Byakuya Togami, Ultimate Affluent Progeny, interrupted him. "It's already been confirmed. Without a doubt, she's dead."

Makoto could barely think. Just a few hours ago, Sayaka had come to him, scared half to death, asking for help. When they had switched rooms for the night, he was sure she would be safe. But now…

"What… what are we doing here then?" Makoto yelled. "Someone killed her! We have to-"

"Trust me, we don't want to be here either," Leon Kuwata, the Ultimate Baseball Star, interrupted, scratching the back of his head. "But the damn bear wanted us all here for some reason."

"Oh god, he's gonna k-kill us all, isn't he!?" Toko Fukawa, Ultimate Writing Progidy, barely managed to say.

"I wouldn't think so," Hifumi Yamada, the Ultimate Fanfic Creator, tried to reassure her. "I feel as though he would find it much more thrilling to kill us all slowly, so we may yet have a chance to-" He was cut off by Toko screaming in terror.

"C'mon, this… this is still a prank, isn't it? They're just hazing us, right!?" Yasuhiro "Hiro" Hagakure, the Ultimate Clairvoyant asked, giving a half-hearted chuckle in an attempt to mask his mortal terror.

"Why the hell do you still think this is all a fuckin' joke?" Mondo Owada, the Ultimate Biker Gang Leader, who had helped Taka carry Makoto, yelled. "I saw her with my own eyes, she's fuckin' dead!"

At that moment, Kyoko finally reentered.

"Took you long enough," Byakuya sneered.

"I was simply taking a look at the scene," Kyoko said, showing almost no hint of emotion.

"Do you really think it is such a good idea to keep Monokuma waiting?" Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler asked, she herself showing a slight smile of amusement.

"I understand, but there was…" Kyoko began, before she was cut off.

"Puhuhuhu!" a laugh rang out in the gymnasium. On the stage set up before them, a black and white bear they all knew and despised appeared almost out of thin air. "About time someone showed some bloodthirsty initiative!"

"It was you, wasn't it!?" Aoi "Hina" Asahina exclaimed, her hair standing on end in rage. "You killed Sayaka!"

"Sorry to disappoint, but the rules of the game state that I can't bloody my own paws unless someone breaks a rule and requires execution!" Monokuma, the Killing Game Master, reminded them. "And that means that Sayaka was murdered by one of you!"

The fourteen remaining students eyed each other, panicked.

"You… you mean, one of us killed a friend?" Chihiro Fujisaki, the petite Ultimate Programmer said, shaking like a leaf.

"I would hardly consider us friends," Byakuya scoffed. "But I certainly wouldn't put it past any of you."

"So… what now?" Leon asked. "Someone committed murder, so doesn't that mean whoever did it gets to leave?"

"Oh, if only it were that simple," Monokuma answered. "It's time for the bread and butter of the Killing Game: the investigation and Class Trial!"

"Class… Trial?" Makoto asked.

"The rules are simple!" Monokuma began gleefully. "After each murder, I'll give everyone a certain amount of time to investigate, gather evidence and alibis, try and cover up any secrets you might be keeping, yadda yadda. Then, I'll gather everyone for a Class Trial! In the Class Trial, it's your job to figure out whodunit by presenting your findings and theories, and once you've reached a conclusion, you'll all take a vote! If you vote for the correct killer, that student will be punished for disturbing the peace, and the rest of you will be allowed to continue your school lives as normal."

Celeste spoke up. "And by punishment, we take that to mean…"

"Yep," Monokuma answered. "The best part of any Class Trial: Execution!"

The room went dead silent, until one person spoke up.

"And if we vote incorrectly?" Sakura Ogami, the Ultimate Martial Artist asked, her voice thick with dread and stoic anger.

"Then I'll execute everyone besides the killer, and the successful blackened will graduate and leave Hope's Peak Academy scot free!"

Everyone's blood went cold. Earlier, they had assumed that simply committing murder would allow someone to leave, but now the game wasn't so straightforward. If you wanted to leave, not only would you have to kill a fellow student, you would have to outsmart every other student, as well as be willing to sacrifice them all to ensure your freedom.

Everyone had the same thought: the game was sickening.

Where they varied was whether or not they were willing to play.

"You think we're all just gonna go along with this!?" One student cried out at last.

Monokuma cocked his head, perplexed. "Huh?"

Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista, stared the bear down in a rage. "No one wants to play this sick game! If you want us to kill each other, you're out of luck!"

Every other student said nothing. Either out of fear or apathy, they let the scene unfold.

"What's this?" Monokuma's left eye began glowing red. "Are you actually trying to rebel against me? I am your headmaster!" He leapt off the stage and began waddling angrily toward the students. "It's my job to snuff out any reb- URMPH!"

He was cut off by Junko's boot slamming into his stomach, pinning him to the floor. "Grumyah!" He sputtered.

"Are you enjoying yourself now?" Junko asked, smirking.

"Are you?" Monokuma asked, eerily calm.

Everyone's eyes went wide as they all realized what had just happened.

"Violence against Headmaster Monokuma is against school regulations! You've committed a serious violation!"

She was going to be punished.

She was going to be _executed._

"Help! To me, Godly Spear Gungir!"

It all happened so fast. Only a few noticed, but numerous holes appeared in the walls and ceiling. None of them dared move a muscle.

Except one.

"JUNKO, LOOK OUT!"

In almost an instant, sharp metal poles fired out of the holes, all aimed at where Junko was… or rather, had been.

Makoto had rushed forward and knocked her out of the way, leaving all the spears to stick into the floor where Junko had stood before.

Everyone, now including Monokuma, was speechless. "I… You…"

Makoto groaned as he slowly got up, offering a hand to a shaken Junko. "Hey… are you okay?"

Junko said nothing as she took his hand.

"This… this wasn't supposed to…" Monokuma stuttered. "…Forget it. I'll let you off with a warning. None of you ever try a stunt like that again. Your investigation starts now."

And with that, Monokuma vanished.

Junko could barely react to anything. She was stuck in her own head. Many thoughts entered her brain, but one stood out more than any.

"I should be dead right now."

She didn't notice everyone suspecting Makoto, as he tried desperately to explain why Sayaka was in his room last night.

She only barely noticed Hina nudge her. "Hey, we're all leaving."

"I… I just want to… stay in my room for a bit…" Junko said weakly.

Hina rubbed the back of her head. "Well… I guess that's fine. I'll let the others know, yeah?"

Junko nodded, and started off back to the dorms. She passed Byakuya investigating the hallway, with Toko trailing behind him like a lost puppy, as well as Makoto talking with Kyoko.

She finally made it back to her room.

"This wasn't… supposed to happen."

**Author's Note: Man, it's great to be back. This story is gonna be a lot different than what I write normally, in more ways than one. For one, this is gonna be much gorier and adult than a lot of the stuff I've written, because… well, murder, so here's your content warning. Basically, this story is my take on the whole "Danganronpa but something happens and the death order is changed" concept, which I haven't seen a lot of for the first game. This was inspired in particular by the Danganronpa V3 fanfic Three-Point Shot, by RandomRex6 over on AO3. So there's my recommendation for you.**

**Also, if it wasn't obvious, aside from Mukuro surviving, the first case plays out the same, so expect to see Leon get pummeled by baseballs next chapter. After that though, things will be MUCH different. See ya!**

_Students remaining: 14._

_Dead: Sayaka Maizono._


	2. Chapter 1, Part 2

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

Junko's back slid down the wall of her room as she clutched her pale pink hair. She could barely register any thought other than that.

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

Finally, she pulled her hands down, and her hair came with them. She removed her wig of giant pigtails, leaving only her comparatively unimpressive black bob haircut.

The mask of Junko had been removed, and only her true identity remained: Mukuro Ikusaba, the Ultimate Soldier.

"Yeah, so you wanna explain what the _hell _that was all about?"

Monokuma had appeared in Mukuro's room, but his voice was not the usual cartoonishly shrill lilt. Rather, it was the voice of a teenage girl.

The real Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair and mastermind behind the killing game, was angrily chastising her sister.

Mukuro flinched. "I… I don't know… Junko, I-"

"Shut the fuck up!" Junko yelled, causing the usually stoic warrior to flinch. "My chance for some insanely delicious despair has been ruined thanks to that lucky bastard!"

While Junko held the title of THE Ultimate Despair, in truth the talent was shared between the two sisters, as well as countless others they had convinced to join their cause, and their cause was simple.

Everything is shit and nothing in life matters.

Mukuro lived by this mantra as she lived by her sister, with undying loyalty. She had killed dozens, even hundreds for this cause, and would happily give her own life for it.

Junko, on the other hand, _embodied _this cause. Despair was the only thing that kept her alive. It was her whole being, and it aroused her to no end when she or anyone else fell into complete and total despair.

"A chance at delicious despair?" Mukuro parroted.

"Well, what would be more despair-inducing than watching my loyal sister die by my own hand?" Junko explained flatly. "Even then, I could only imagine the despair you would have felt, being betrayed by the one person in this world you were most loyal to!" Her voice became shaky, as if she was trying to contain her… "glee."

"You were… gonna kill me…" Mukuro said, her mind a mess. "We agreed that you would just throw me in a hole, and I would monitor the killing game alongside you… but you were really planning to kill me?"

"Yeah, but that bastard just HAD to step in and be a hero!" Junko yelled. "I felt relieved that you were okay! RELIEVED! I've never been so insulted in my life!"

"So… what now?" Mukuro asked. "Do you still want to kill me?"

Junko thought for a second. "…Nah. It wouldn't be the same now that you know. And it would be too suspicious to carry out the original plan." She thought for a moment, symbolized by the Monokuma she was controlling scratching its head, before finally coming to a conclusion. "Simple. We'll just have you join the killing game as a regular participant."

Mukuro's eyes went wide. "Wait, how? I know too much already! Won't I have an unfair advantage?"

"Well, duh! You make it sound like it's a bad thing," Junko scoffed. "You'll be playing by some special rules, though."

Mukuro nodded, mulling it over.

"No telling anyone what's really going on," she started. "That includes anything about you, me, or Hope's Peak. From now on, you are Junko Enoshima, Ultimate Fashionista, and nothing more. And if I tell you to kill someone, you'll do it, no questions asked. And before you ask, yes, that does mean you'll be executed if they find you out."

Mukuro thought for a second. "…Ok. I'll do it. For the killing game."

The Monokuma jumped up and down with joy. "Perfect! Knew I could count on you!" he said, his voice returning to its high pitched modifier. "Well, I gotta go. We still have a Class Trial to organize, remember?"

And as quickly as he had appeared, Monokuma vanished once more, leaving Mukuro alone with her thoughts.

She had sworn her life to her sister's goal. They both knew that. The world was Junko's to do as she pleased, and that was to spread despair.

Their job was nearly done, and the killing game was the key to their final victory over hope. The game couldn't be compromised, no matter what.

So why was she doubting her sister now?

As she looped this thought process over and over in her head, the other students were wrapping up their investigation.

_Ding dong bong bing!_

"Attention everyone! Investigation time is now up! Please report to the red door in the main hall!"

Monokuma's face appeared on all the monitors in the school as he made the announcement.

Mukuro got up, putting the wig back on her head, and exited her room.

In the hall, she ran into Makoto.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, startled. "Uh, hi. Are you… doing ok?"

Mukuro stared at him for a second. "Um… yeah, I think I'm good."

They stared at each other awkwardly, until Makoto started off again.

"Thank you."

The words kind of… tumbled out of Mukuro's mouth, catching Makoto off guard.

"Uh… yeah. Don't mention it, Junko." And with that and an awkward yet genuine smile, he started off again.

Mukuro had to pull herself together. _From now on, you are Junko._

…

The tension in the courtroom could be cut with a knife.

"Isn't that right… Leon Kuwata!?"

Makoto, a fire in his eyes, was pointing a strong finger right at the Ultimate Baseball Star. With the help of Kyoko, Makoto was able to prove his innocence, and they had slowly but surely put all the clues together, and had proven that Sayaka had actually invited Leon to Makoto's room, where she had attempted to kill him. After they fought, breaking Sayaka's wrist in the process, she had escaped to the bathroom, where Leon dismantled the lock and stabbed her with a kitchen knife, and the message she wrote in her own blood on the wall behind her, 11037, was in fact the name of her killer, LEON.

Leon was pale with shock. He couldn't deny his guilt any longer.

"Well, it seems we've all come to a conclusion," Monokuma spoke up. "Well, everyone, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! Voting Time!"

With no words spoken between any of them, they all punched their votes on the consoles in front of them.

A slot machine behind Monokuma with the words VOTING TIME shining in big neon letters appeared. The lever pulled down, and the three wheels all cycled through each student's face, until they all landed on Leon. Coins poured out of the slot machine as confetti blasted and victorious music played.

"You're all 100% correct! The one who killed the Ultimate Idol Singer, Sayaka Maizono, was… the Ultimate Baseball Star, Leon Kuwata!"

Leon was struggling to stand, his pale, sweaty hands gripping his podium for support. "It… it wasn't my fault… she was trying to kill me, man… it was… it was self-defense!"

No one could bear to look at him.

"Well, it's time for the best part! Leon has disturbed our peaceful school lives, so now it's time for his punishment!"

"Wait…" Hina said, wide-eyed. "You don't mean…"

"Yep! Execution!" Monokuma yelled, before giving a hearty "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Please…" Leon choked back a sob. "I'm begging you! DON'T DO THIS!" He ran to the wall behind him, clawing and punching in vain to break it down. "GET ME OUT OF HERE! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T WANNA DIE!"

"Now, I've prepared a very special punishment!"

"PLEASE! NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!"

"Let's go! It's… PUNISHMENT TIME!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Leon let out one last scream as tears and snot covered his face.

Monokuma produced a hammer, and lightly tapped the big red button in front of him.

**Leon Kuwata has been found guilty.  
Time for the punishment!**

_Leon could hardly breathe. He could feel the stares of his fellow students piercing his entire body. He opened his mouth to scream, but before any sound could come forth, he felt a metal clamp close itself around his neck. He grabbed it, trying desperately to tear it off, until he felt his feet leave the ground, and the courtroom rapidly get farther and farther away as his body was dragged through a hallway._

_He finally saw where he was going: a rusty room, adorned only with a pole and a scoreboard he frequently saw in his many games playing baseball. Normally, he would see his team and whatever school they would inevitably beat written on the board, but this time, all that was written was two names: Leon, and Monokuma._

_His body slammed against the pole, and more metal clamps closed around him, pinning his wrists to his chest and denying him any possibility of escape. However, he was more focused on what appeared from the floor in front of him: a fence, behind which the others were staring in fear, and in front of the fence stood a pitching machine, and next to it, Monokuma, wearing a baseball cap and brandishing a bat._

_**ULTIMATE BASEBALL STAR'S EXECUTION: THE 1000 BLOWS**_

_The first ball slammed into Leon's stomach, giving him time to writhe in pain before firing the second shot at his chest. The balls began firing rapidly, shooting him in the legs, face, chest, and all around as it tilted and spun all around him. His entire body ached and stung with each blow, and the shots kept coming with no chance for relief._

_In what he knew were his final moments, time seemed to slow for Leon. He could count how many baseballs were coming toward him. He could count how many stitches were on each one. He could see the sweat, fear, sorrow, and guilt in his classmate's eyes._

_The machine finally stopped firing, cooling down and retracting back into the floor._

_The thirteen remaining students could only stare at the scene in front of them, their faces covered in terror and sweat._

_Leon's left arm had been knocked out of the harness, leaving it to dangle along his side. His head lay limp, his entire body covered in bruises and blood. All around him were countless baseballs, each covered in blood and bits of torn flesh._

Everyone stared in horror at the scene in front of them as Monokuma laughed. "Three strikes, Leon's out of here!"

Mukuro was appalled. She was used to death, having killed many enemies before, but this was crueler than anything she'd ever done.

"This… this is just a game to you?" Makoto said softly. "Our lives… they're not just things for you to toy with like some kind of god!"

"Like you know anything!" Monokuma snapped. "Your lives are worth nothing now. That is, unless you've got the guts to try and get out of here."

"Come on… let's go." Kyoko stepped out of the crowd, back toward the elevator that had brought them down. "There's nothing left for us here."

The students trickled out of the room, leaving Mukuro alone to stare at her former classmate's body.

"This is my life now," she quietly said to herself. "Either I can win… or I'll die in the name of despair."

**Author's note: Welp, finally out of what I'm considering the "prologue" of A Single Life Spared. I'm super excited to get this new story underway. I decided not to include the rest of the trial in detail since aside from Mukuro being there, nothing had changed, but I did want to write out the execution to give an example of how the rest of the punishments will be formatted. Also, you can't NOT include such an iconic scene from the game. The next chapter probably won't have the next murder, but I do want to do some juicy plot stuff, so you'll have to wait and see who's gonna be next to die. See ya!**

_Students remaining: 13_

_Dead: Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata._


	3. Chapter 2, Part 1

The elevator grumbled and rolled as it lifted the thirteen remaining students back up to the first floor of Hope's Peak. No one dared say anything.

A small _ding _was heard as the elevator stopped. The doors opened, revealing the first floor hallway, the lights shining a pale white, like an abandoned hospital.

One by one, they all filed out of the elevator and into the lobby. They all stood there, as if they were expecting someone to say something. Except for one, who simply began walking back to the dorms.

"Now why are you all just standing around?" Byakuya asked, his voice completely apathetic. "If you're going to waste time mourning their deaths, I'd suggest doing it in private where I don't have to see you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Mondo asked, dashing up and turning on his heel so that he was blocking Byakuya's path. "Look, people fucking died today. Show some damn respect."

"They died because they were idiots," Byakuya said, unfettered. "If either of them were actually smart, they would still be alive after sacrificing us all in the Class Trial. They lost the game, plain and simple. I don't have time for losers."

"So you're saying you would kill us all to escape here?" Mondo responded, getting right in the rich boy's face. "Bold words, coming from a boney fucking bastard!"

"You d-don't talk to Master Byakuya like that!" Toko stuttered, running right in between the two, shielding Byakuya like a mother bear would shield her cubs, catching everyone off guard, including Byakuya.

"The hell?" Mondo stepped back, confused but still enraged.

"Please, let's try to stay calm!" Taka stepped up to the possible fight that was about to break, poised and proper. "I am vehemently against using violence to solve our disputes, but for once, I must agree with Mondo. Even if they tried to commit murder, they were both still our classmates, and as such, we should treat their deaths with some degree of respect."

"And what good does that do you?" Byakuya spun around to face him. "This entire game makes it impossible to trust anyone. As soon as you bend to your emotions, you become an easy target."

"So what, we're supposed to just give in to what the bear wants?" a voice in the crowd popped up. Makoto stepped forward, staring right into Byakuya's eyes. "We're supposed to just forget about them and turn on each other?"

"Wasn't Sayaka the one who baited you like a mindless fish?" Byakuya retorted. "Are you seriously foolish enough to show sympathy to someone who treated you like that? And Leon, he had every opportunity to leave Sayaka alive, but he chose to kill her and try to frame you."

Makoto's determined glare faltered for a moment, but he took a breath and regained his composure. "Look, they made mistakes. Everyone does. Whether we forgive them is up to us… but we can _never _forget them. We need to honor them by living on and beating this sick game!"

Byakuya said nothing, and simply turned his back to him. "Fine. If that's the hill you want to die on, so be it." And with that, he walked back to the dorms.

"We should… probably go," Hina said, clearly tired. "It's almost time for the night announcement, right?"

"It's been a long day for all of us," Sakura nodded in agreement.

Gradually, each student made their way back to their rooms.

…

Makoto flopped onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling.

He hated to admit it, but Byakuya, as horrid as he was, did actually have a point. Sayaka had manipulated him, used their friendship as a pawn in her bid to escape, and even planned to have him framed for murder on top of it. And while Leon never tried anything like that, he still tried to pin the blame on Makoto.

And because of that, they were both dead.

Despite everything they had done to him, however, he couldn't bring himself to hate them, or even blame them.

They had been pushed over the edge by this sick game. All Sayaka wanted was to see her band, the only other people she could consider her friends. And while Makoto didn't see Leon's motive video, he knew he had to have loved ones he wanted to know were safe.

A vision of Makoto's own family flashed in his mind. His mom, his dad, his sister Komaru. Just like everyone else, he wanted desperately to see his family again.

That's why he didn't want to give in to the bear's bid for despair. He wanted to get out with everyone else.

He wanted to defy whoever had trapped them in this hell, and expose whatever they were planning.

A knock on his door snapped him out of his thoughts. He quickly lifted his body off of his mattress, and walking over to the door.

He was surprised to see Junko, or at least, the person he knew as Junko, standing there, rubbing her shoulder.

"Hey…" She said, somewhat meekly. "Can we talk?"

"Oh, uh… sure," Makoto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Come in, I guess."

Junko awkwardly shuffled into his room, leaning her butt on a table in the corner.

"Well," she began. "I really just wanted to… thank you, again. For you know, saving my life today."

Makoto was taken aback for a second. "Oh. Yeah, like I said… it was nothing."

"Nothing, my ass," Junko said, starting the boy. "If you hadn't done anything, I would have been a face in a frame, just like Saya-" She stopped herself, noticing Makoto's gaze become downcast. "Look… I'm sorry about what happened. I don't think I can make you feel any better, but… we can talk anytime." She flashed a wide smile, unlike any expression he'd seen in the countless magazines she'd been on the cover of. This smile was a real emotion, not just something a director told her to put on to make her 'sexier'.

"…Thank you," Makoto finally said, returning her smile. She turned to leave, when suddenly, the door was pushed open by none other than Kyoko.

"Oh," she gasped. "I apologize. I didn't realize you had company."

"Oh no, it's fine," Junko said quickly. "I was about to leave anyway. I just had some stuff to talk with him about."

She rapidly made her way back to the hall, but she couldn't help but feel Kyoko staring at her… almost as if she was curious about something.

Kyoko shook her head and returned her attention to Makoto.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" he asked.

…

Mukuro sighed as she closed the door behind her. The wig came off again, and was placed on a stand on a dresser. Her head felt so much lighter.

"Well, someone's getting friendly!"

Junko's voice sang out through a Monokuma, which was lying on her bed in a pose that screamed "draw me like one of your French bears".

"While I'm not the biggest fan of you using my image to get all buddy-buddy with everyone," she continued. "I have to say, you're doing an outstanding job so far! Getting them all to trust you like that is gonna lead to some _heavenly _despair later."

Mukuro gulped. "Yeah… If they find me out, that is."

Monokuma cocked his head, sitting up on the bed. "Hm?" Junko puzzled. "You _are _still committed to all this, right?"

"Oh, yes!" Mukuro quickly answered.

Monokuma stayed silent for a moment.

"Well then, alright," Junko finally said. "Also, you can hold off on murder… for now. Let's let them squirm for now, right?"

"Yeah. Squirm," Mukuro repeated unenthusiastically.

Monokuma cocked his head again, shrugged, then disappeared in an instant.

Mukuro ran her fingers through her hair.

_Why am I doubting my sister now?_

She had completely trusted her sister before. Together, they were Ultimate Despair.

But that was before Junko had tried to have her killed.

They agreed that Mukuro would only impersonate Junko for a short while until the first murder. She would attack Monokuma, then a trap door would open up and send her to the computer room where she and her sister would monitor the killing game together.

But then she learned that she was simply another ticket to despair for Junko's twisted mind.

She knew Junko better than anyone on this planet. She knew how her sister's mind worked, or at least she had a good grip on its main functions.

Despair is life. Those were the words Junko Enoshima lived by.

But how far was she willing to go to achieve that despair?

And how far was Mukuro willing to follow her?

…

_Ding dong bing bong!_

"Rise and shine, everyone! It is now 7 AM, and nighttime hours are officially over! Let's all have another great day!"

Monokuma's voice rang throughout the school like a cheery headmaster waking his students for a fun day of learning and socializing, when in actuality he was waking his prisoners for another day of fear and despair.

The students began trickling into the dining hall over the course of the next two hours. As always, Taka, Sakura, and Hina were up and about before anyone else, followed by Chihiro, Makoto, Junko, and Hifumi, with Kyoko, Celeste, and Hiro walking in whenever they pleased.

And as always, Byakuya entered a while after everyone else, followed closely by Toko.

"Alright, everyone!" Taka shouted, standing at the end of the long table most of the students had chosen to sit at. "I would like to begin today's morning meeting by discussing our plan for the day."

"Our plan for what exactly?" Byakuya asked, his arms crossed. "The last time we had a 'plan', two of us decided to betray everyone and commit murder. No matter how much we try to escape, the game's already begun."

A few people, particularly Mondo, fought the urge to slap him across the face, but everyone decided it wasn't worth it.

"That doesn't mean we can't keep trying," Makoto countered.

"I have to admit, I can't think of anywhere we haven't already investigated," Hifumi pondered, dramatically rubbing his chin.

"Well, why don't we remedy that?"

Most of the students gasped as Monokuma appeared out of nowhere, hopping onto the table. "Puhuhuhu! I want to congratulate you all on a job well done last night! You managed to find the blackened and bring peace back to your lovely school lives!"

"Get to the point," Kyoko said, her impatience for the bear shared among her peers.

"Fine… buzzkill," Monokuma whined, lowering his head. "As a reward for solving your first murder, I'm giving you all a gift!"

"And what exactly would this gift be?" Celeste inquired.

"Why don't you all check your Student Handbooks?" Monokuma replied, giggling. "Prepare yourselves for some extra elbow room!"

The thirteen students each pulled out the electronic tablets they had been given at the start of the Killing Game, scanning its contents for any new information.

"Woah!" Hiro yelled. "The second floor's been added to the map!"

Sure enough, an extra page had been added to the map section of their Handbooks. A floor plan they didn't recognize had appeared.

The students tore out of the dining hall, all the way to the stairway that had previously been blocked.

Just as they had all hoped, the gate confining them to the first floor had lifted.

"Not that I'm really complaining," Hina mused, "but why is he giving us access to the next floor now?"

"Probably as another motive," Kyoko said. "There's a good chance we'll find out more about what's really going on here with an entire new section of the school open to us."

She began ascending the flight of stairs, with everyone else following close behind.

**Author's Note: Well, I'd keep writing, but this chapter is so long already I'm actually gonna have to split it in half, and I figured this was a good stopping point for now. Not a super eventful chapter so far, but I did want to give some spotlight to some of the other characters for a bit, namely Makoto. Yeah, Mukuro is going to be the main character of this story, but Makoto is still just as important. Next chapter, we'll get to the second floor and the second motive, which I've put something of a twist on. See ya!**

_Students remaining: 13_

_Dead: Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata._


	4. Chapter 2, Part 2

"I'm actually impressed," Byakuya said, scanning the books on the shelves. "This almost rivals my family's personal library."

One of the new discoveries yielded by the new floor was a fairly packed library.

"Of course you have one of those," Mondo grumbled under his breath, leaning against a wall.

"Hey, I found something," Makoto called out. Kyoko joined him at a desk, where the boy was inspecting a laptop with a Hope's Peak crest emblazoned on the back.

"It doesn't seem to be working," Kyoko observed. No matter what buttons or keys Makoto pressed, the screen remained black and powerless. "Not that I thought we could Google our way out of our situation, though."

"Still, it seems kind of weird," Makoto wondered aloud. "Why have this broken laptop here in the first place?"

"Um…" Chihiro spoke up meekly. "If you don't mind… could I hold onto it?"

Makoto looked at Kyoko as if she was the proper authority for the situation.

"Be my guest," she said, shrugging and handing the device to Chihiro.

"Better yet, this seems to be interesting," Byakuya continued, picking up an envelope. "This letter has the school's official crest on it."

The four others in the room crowded around him as he flipped the envelope open and read the message inside.

"_Due to the incident, we will regrettably have to close the doors of Hope's Peak Academy until further notice. All students will be sent home, and we must not let anyone know what really happened here. While we will try our best to reopen the school as soon as we can, we currently have no idea when or if that will come to be."_

"Wait, so the school's closed?" Mondo asked, bewildered. "That doesn't make any fuckin' sense! The place seemed pretty open to me when I first got here!"

"Yeah, same here," Makoto affirmed.

Kyoko gave the note another once-over. "It seems that Hope's Peak is no longer operating as a school, which brings to mind a few questions. For example, why are we still here?"

"And what is this 'incident' they're referring to, yes?" Byakuya continued her thought. "Very interesting indeed." He looked up at the other students. "Now, if you could all leave, I'd like to do some research on my own."

"Really?" Mondo asked, cracking his knuckles. "And why exactly is that?"

"I would rather like to read in peace without you plebeians breathing down my neck constantly," Byakuya answered simply. "And that includes you, Toko."

The students all spun around as they heard a loud _thump, _only to see Toko, scrambling to get up after falling from behind a shelf.

"G-gah!" she squeaked. "I-I-I'm so s-sorry!"

"And get a bath will you?" Byakuya said, turning up his nose. "I feel like I want to vomit simply knowing you're here."

He ushered her, Kyoko, Makoto, Chihiro, and Mondo out of the library, closing the door behind them.

"Asshole," Mondo scoffed.

…

Mukuro knew that they had to have found the letter by now. Junko had deliberately left it in the library for them to find, giving them their first clue at the true nature of the School Life of Mutual Killing, and the Tragedy that had spurred Ultimate Despair's rise to power.

Leaving that thought be for now, she watched as Hina fawned over the pool. Mukuro had figured that it would be out-of-character for a fashionista to be more interested in the library than the pool, so she had agreed to check it out alongside Celeste, Hina, Sakura, and Taka.

"We all gotta go for a swim sometime!" Hina said excitedly. She was practically bouncing off the walls.

Sakura nodded, smiling at her friend. "Yes… a swim does sound nice."

"I agree!" Taka shouted, which everyone knew by now was normal for him. "I think a group swim would be an amazing team-building exercise! Maybe even a pool party, perhaps!"

Mukuro was somewhat bemused at how cheerful they all were, considering what had happened only a day prior.

"How about you, Junko?" Hina bounced right up to her.

"I'm not a fan of getting my hair wet," Mukuro lied, slipping back into her Junko persona. "Sounds fun, but I think I'll pass."

"I must agree with Junko," Celeste said. Mukuro had almost forgotten she was there. "I put too much effort into my appearance to ruin it in water."

Hina's shoulder's sunk a bit. "Aw man, you're no fun."

…

A few hours later, the students had gathered back in the dining hall, with Makoto, Kyoko, "Junko", Hina, Sakura, Hifumi, Chihiro, Hiro, Mondo, and Celeste sitting at the long table, while Taka stood at the end and Toko sat at a round table further away, near an unenthusiastic Byakuya.

"I believe we have all had ample time to explore the new floor," Taka led the discussion. "Now then, if everyone could share their findings?"

"There's a library with a good selection," Kyoko began. "We also found a note, referring to some 'incident' that caused Hope's Peak to close down."

She was met with bewilderment from those who weren't at the library during the investigation.

"The hell?" Hiro cried.

Hifumi slammed his hands down on the table. "Inconceivable! When I first arrived, there wasn't any indication that the school was closed. I just walked right in!"

"Apparently, everyone else felt the same," Kyoko continued. "If the school really is shut down, it would explain why we're the only ones here, but it also opens a plethora of other questions."

"Sadly, nothing in the library showed any signs of a possible means of escape," Byakuya chimed in from his own table, trying not to pay attention to Toko, who was sweating and fawning over him.

"Hifumi and I couldn't find any new clues in the classrooms," Hiro explained. "They were basically the same as the ones downstairs."

"We found a pool!" Hina blurted out, as if she had been waiting to say so the entire time.

"So ultimately, we found nothing of importance," Celeste spoke up.

"I wouldn't say that," Kyoko countered. "While we may not have found a way out, we were able to gain a valuable clue as to why we're all in this situation to begin with."

"But like you said, it raises more questions than it actually answers," Byakuya said once more. "Although I do have to wonder why Monokuma would leave that out for us in the first place."

"Isn't it obvious?" Hiro stood up. "The bear's lying to us! The school's not closed at all!"

"If that's the case, then where the hell is everyone else then, dumbass?" Mondo asked.

Hiro thought for a second. "W-well… they're probably… uh…"

"Imbecile," Byakuya scoffed.

"If it helps," Makoto piped up. "I did find another flight of stairs, but it was closed off."

"So there's another story to the school?" Taka asked. "How exactly do we get past?"

"That part should be obvious," Celeste said. "We finish another Class Trial."

The temperature in the room lowered by about thirty degrees.

"So, the reward for sending a blackened to execution is more information about our predicament," Byakuya mused. "It seems the videos weren't our only motive. I must say… I'm somewhat intrigued."

"You aren't seriously fucking considering killing someone just to get up some stairs, are you?" Mondo asked, angry at the mere notion.

"What I'm 'considering' is none of your business," Byakuya said, not even bothering to stand to meet Mondo. "But if it's any consolation, I'm quite satisfied with the library for now."

Mondo said nothing, but kept glaring at the rich boy as he slowly sat back down.

"I believe we've exhausted all possible discussion for the day," Taka said, seeing that no one else had anything to say. "I suggest we disperse for now, and we'll meet back up tomorrow morning for breakfast."

…

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful.

Byakuya spent most of his time in the library, frequently trying to shoo Toko away.

Makoto had elected to spend some time with Hiro, which he later came to regret when the clairvoyant read his future and told him that they would both have a child by the same woman, then tried to charge a large amount of money for a "trial" divination.

Kyoko decided to enlist Hina and Sakura to help her with some investigating, and found that they had now been given access to the bathhouse in the dorms, as well as the nurse's office on the school's first floor. Sadly, no way out had been found, and the stairs to the third floor were still blocked.

Hifumi had brought a pad of paper to the dining hall and was doodling away, all the while gushing about the wonders of the world of 2D to a creeped-out Taka and Celeste.

Chihiro had hidden away in her room, dodging Hina's request to go train with her and Sakura.

That left Mondo and Mukuro to idly chat while hanging out in the school's main hall, with Mukuro making damn sure to keep up her Junko persona. Thankfully, Mondo's general disinterest made that part pretty easy.

The day passed without incident, with no appearance from Monokuma during the nighttime announcement.

…

_*Ding dong, bing bong*_

"Good morning everyone!" Monokuma sang as soon as the clock struck seven. "It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Now then, if everyone could please report to the gym!"

…

In the gym, the students waited with bated breath for whatever it was Monokuma was going to announce. However, something seemed off.

"…We're missing two," Kyoko said. "Byakuya and Toko, it seems."

Mukuro groaned. "I'll get them." Annoyed, she trudged out of the gym, but once she was sure the door behind her was closed, she took some time to gather her thoughts as she made her way to the library, where she knew the two were hiding out.

_It's a day early._

Junko was supposed to reveal the second motive the next day. What reason would she have for trying to speed it up? It wasn't like the game was on a time limit.

Before she could really think about things further, she found herself at the door of the library. Pushing it open, she slipped back into the mask of the Ultimate Fashionista.

"Hey, didn't you hear the announcement?" She yelled.

"Oh, get over yourself, plebian," Byakuya scoffed, closing the book he was reading. "I was just finishing up." She noticed an impressive pile of books on the table, which she knew Byakuya had already read twice over back when they were all still students of Hope's Peak Academy before the tragedy.

Mukuro sighed. "You too, Toko."

This time, Toko stumbled out from behind the door leading to the archives in the back.

"Wait, that's where you were?" Byakuya stood up suddenly as Toko scrambled to get back on her feet. He quickly got right in Toko's face. "Never enter that room again, got it? That's an order."

Toko trembled and eagerly nodded. He really did have that hold over her.

They soon returned to the gym, only to find quite the bizarre sight.

Monokuma was onstage, performing slow, methodical poses as Taka mimicked him on the floor. Everyone else seemed either annoyed or uninterested.

"Ah, there's our missing pieces to our puzzle of hope!" Monokuma announced. "Too bad you missed our Monokuma Tai Chi, I feel like it's really brought us together!"

"I feel extremely calm and relaxed!" Taka said loudly. "Thank you!"

"Now then, for why I really brought you all here," Monokuma continued. From behind his back, he pulled out a series of envelopes, each with a student's name on it.

_She really is doing the motive early._

The bear threw the envelopes in the air, and most of the students sped to catch theirs.

Mukuro calmly grabbed the one labeled 'Junko'.

_I should be fine, there's almost no chance they'll figure out I'm-_

She stopped cold when she read what was actually in her envelope.

Junko wasn't just doing the motive early.

Mukuro read the note over again.

_Mondo Owada killed his brother._

This wasn't her secret. She had gotten someone else's.

The motive had changed.

**Author's Note: Sorry about the hiatus. This chapter was kind of a slog to write, since I haven't really super nailed how I want to characterize Mukuro yet and this part of the story is basically "Chapter 2 but Mukuro is there now". I do have a major plot change lined up for next chapter though, and you can already see some things have shaken up. On an unrelated note, I only have like three days left in high school! This fall I'm finally starting college for Theatre and Performance Studies and I could not be more excited.**

**Expect Chapter 2 Part 3 soon… and maybe something sinister as well? Who knows?**

_Students remaining: 13._

_Dead: Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata._


	5. Chapter 2, Part 3

"Wha… what the hell…" Hiro trembled.

Everyone was shooting glances at each other. They had all pretty much figured out what was going on.

"Thaaaaaat's right!" Monokuma sang. "It's time for the second motive! Someone in this school now knows your darkest secret!"

"So it's true!?" Hifumi exclaimed. "Mr. Naegi really DID wet the bed until third grade?"

Everyone looked between Hifumi and Makoto, who looked like he wanted to vomit all of his internal organs and die right there.

"Careful with that mouth, fatso!" Monokuma mocked him. "Whether you choose to reveal the secret is completely up to you… but it's at your own risk. Puhuhu!" And with that, Monokuma was gone.

No one dared say anything.

Everyone's perception of someone was shattered that day. Some were confused, empathetic, or even angry. But everyone was shocked.

And they all knew sharing their secret was a bad idea.

…

Taka had called everyone to the dining hall.

"So… I would like to begin by discussing this motive."

"It's terrifying, to say the least," Sakura bemoaned.

"What do we do?" Hina trembled. "Should we tell everyone what we've learned?"

"That's a bad idea," Kyoko stated plainly. "As mortifying as it is, there are some people who would kill to protect their deepest secrets. And I doubt Monokuma would give us that motive if he wasn't absolutely sure there were some people like that in here."

"Y-you mean…" Chihiro stuttered. "You still think…"

"How many times will you keep whining about this?" Byakuya cut her off. "It's already happened once. Face it: we're playing the game now."

"You can't just say that!" Makoto interrupted. "I believe in my friends! What's wrong with that?"

Byakuya was already tired. "Idiot. You'll only get hurt in the end."

"Anyway, back to the motive," Kyoko cut the conversation. "I think… we should keep them to ourselves. For now, at least."

"What the hell do you mean?" Mondo shouted. "We can't just fucking sit on these!"

"For the time being, we'll have to!" Taka shouted over him. "And watch your mouth! That language is uncivilized and is unwelcome in a school environment!"

"I… think I have another idea," Makoto spoke up before the two could devolve into a screaming match. "If we feel like it's ok, maybe we could go to whoever's secret we have in private?"

"There is still risk in that proposition," Celeste countered. "Just like Kyoko said, someone could try to kill you simply because you know their darkest secret."

"It's not ideal," Kyoko conceded. "But in all fairness, there's nothing we can do to stop it if anyone chooses to do so."

"I agree with Makoto!" Hina piped up. "Heck, we already know not all of them are bad!"

Hifumi tugged at his collar, looking apologetically at an embarrassed Makoto.

"So, does anyone have any objections to Makoto's suggestion?" Taka asked. When no one spoke up, he nodded. "Then it's settled. If you so choose, and as long as you're careful, you can discuss your obtained secret with that person! Now, there is something else I'd like to discuss." He turned to Hina.

Hina perked up. "Taka and I decided to throw a pool party!"

"Oh yeah," 'Junko' recalled. "You guys were talking about that when we first found the pool."

Taka laughed heartily. "Yes, it's a great idea to bring us closer together! So tomorrow at noon, we'll all meet at the pool and have a good time swimming!"

"Hard pass," Byakuya said, getting up. "A gathering of imbeciles swimming in a pool is not how I'd like to spend my time."

"R-r-right!" Toko agreed. "I-I'd much rather spend my time with M-Master Byakuya than you creeps!"

"Shut up," Byakuya said, not even looking at her.

"I decline as well," Celeste said. "I put a lot of effort into my appearance, and I would rather not have it sullied by chlorine and water."

Taka looked disappointed, but continued. "I guess… the party isn't mandatory. Well, if anyone else would like to decline, I'd rather know now."

The room stayed silent for a second, before Chihiro slowly raised a shaky hand. "I… don't think I'll be joining. I-I'm sorry…"

"Aw man, why not?" Hina asked.

Chihiro began quivering, tears visibly welling up in her eyes.

"If she does not wish to tell us why, it's fine," Sakura cut in.

"Even if she is planning a murder?" Celeste said.

Everyone's head turned to her, shocked that she would even suggest such a thing.

"You serious?" Hiro asked. "You mean… you really think Chihiro would kill someone? And I thought I was the dumb one…"

The student in question could barely stop the tears now.

"Well, none of us expected Sayaka to resort to it," Celeste stated matter-of-factly, hiding her annoyance at Hiro implying she was 'the dumb one'. "It is simply unreasonable to assume anyone else is incapable after that."

"I think it's incredibly unlikely that Chihiro would kill someone," Kyoko countered. "While I would rather her give her reasoning, if it's something she's not willing to share, we can do without it. If it's any consolation, I'll be attending tomorrow."

Everyone looked at Kyoko as if she had just grown another head.

"Really?" Hifumi asked, bewildered.

"What?" Kyoko looked at all her classmates. "I don't have anything else to do."

"I just… didn't think you were the type to go to a pool party," Makoto said earnestly.

"…Really…" Kyoko looked somewhat surprised. "I suppose you may have a point…"

"Excellent!" Taka exclaimed. "I have full faith that this will be an excellent bonding experience! That wraps up our meeting for the day. Hina, Sakura, and I will begin preparations for tomorrow!"

And with that, the students began to disperse.

…

Mukuro made some lame excuse about needing to fix her hair for a bit, then immediately shut the door to her room.

"Ok, Junko, what's going on?"

As if on cue, Monokuma appeared on her bed, laying in a pose that screamed "draw me like one of your French bears".

"Junko?" Monokuma said in his cartoony voice. "I'm confused. Aren't _you _Junko?"

"Cut the shit," Mukuro snapped. "You changed the motive. Why?"

"Oh, my sweet, sweet sister," Monokuma's voice had changed back into that of Junko. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully. You have no special power anymore. Mukuro Ikusaba is the 'mysterious sixteenth student' that they'll all find out about later, while YOU are Junko Enoshima, the gorgeous, if slightly airheaded, girl who takes more stock in her appearance than anything else."

The Monokuma began rubbing itself and sweating. "Ohh~… tarnishing my own public image… it's… ahh…"

"So basically, you're not gonna tell me?" Mukuro said flatly.

"Nope!" the voice went back to Monokuma's. "Like I said, you're a regular member of the Killing School Life now! No special treatment, unless of course I tell you to kill someone."

Mukuro glared at the animatronic bear. "One last question."

"If you're wondering, no, your 'darkest' secret has nothing to do with anything that would reveal your position."

Mukuro shut up.

Not only was Junko both the Ultimate Fashionista and the Ultimate Despair, she was also the Ultimate Analyst. She had a keen eye for detail and knew people extremely well. Which, when paired with her ambitions and ideals, made for one of the most dangerous women alive.

"Well, relax!" Monokuma hopped off of the bed. "You've got the rest of the day to kill! Take that however you want."

And with that, Mukuro was alone again.

She tore off her wig, placed it haphazardly on the white podium designated for it on her dresser, and flopped back onto her sheets.

Why was she still doubting Junko?

…Was she _right _to doubt her?

…

The rest of the day passed without much incident. Hina and Taka bounced ideas off of each other, until they had a solid game plan for the party the next day. Sakura helped them get things set up, and soon enough, the nighttime announcement was soon to come.

Mondo peered into the dining hall, where Taka had just finished taking notes on what foods they could make for tomorrow's party.

_Jeez… I'm the leader of the goddamn Crazy Diamonds. I can do this shit._

Steeling his resolve, he marched into the dining hall…

…and slammed right into Taka.

"Ow-w!" Taka groaned. "Really! You should watch where you're going! Spacial awareness is key to being a functional citizen in civilized society!"

"I'm not here to talk about fuckin' civil-" Mondo began, but he caught himself and stopped. "Look. I gotta talk to you about somethin'."

Taka's eyes widened as he watched Mondo pull an envelope from his jacket pocket.

"_Kiyotaka Ishimaru's family is a public laughingstock."_

Taka looked down, not daring to look the biker in the eye.

"Somehow… I knew that would be what he put down for me…" Taka said quietly.

"So…" Mondo rubbed the back of his head. "You, uh… you wanna talk about it… or somethin'?"

"…It's true. My grandfather, Toranosuke Ishimaru, was elected Prime Minister a few years ago, but then he was involved in a massive money laundering scandal. My family paid off the media in order to get it covered up and escape with our reputation intact, but the story broke anyway. And now my family owes huge amounts of money all for a man who ruined himself and brought shame to the Ishimaru name." He chuckled. "I… truly hate that man. He was the 'Ultimate Manager'. He never worked for anything a day in his life. He was arrogant. He didn't even think it was possible for him to fail. That's why… I want to prove myself. I want to work to restore my family's honor after he destroyed us." He hung his head again. "Selfish… isn't it…"

"Hell yeah it's selfish," Mondo said abruptly, catching Taka offguard.

"Huh?"

"You're right it's selfish. So what?" Mondo slapped a hand on Taka's shoulder. "Look, I don't know about all that political shit, but if you want to help people, who the fuck cares about your reasoning?"

Taka looked up to meet Mondo's gaze. "…I suppose so. Though I still wish you'd stop using such crude language."

"And I wish you'd take out that stick shoved up your ass!" Mondo laughed. After calming himself a bit, he sighed. "Look… you're pretty annoying, like, really fuckin' annoying, but I know you're a good dude."

Taka managed to crack a smile. "…Thank you. Truly, thank you Mondo."

"Hey, no problem… bro." With that, Mondo turned and left.

Taka froze for a second. "…bro? Huh… no one's ever called me that."

…

_*Ding dong bing bong!*_

Monokuma's morning announcement rang out through the school. Taka had decided not to hold a morning meeting, as not only did he have to help prepare for the party, there wasn't much to discuss anyway.

The morning went by fairly quickly, if completely uneventful. Soon enough, however, it became noon, and the pool party was to finally begin.

The first thing Makoto noticed when he came out of the locker room, wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks, was Hina and Sakura, both sporting one-piece school bikinis, eagerly chatting away near a rather impressive buffet of snacks. There were chips, mini sandwiches, fruits, cookies, and donuts (which he knew Hina had a hand in picking out). Hina's hair was in its usual swirl, while Sakura had tied hers back into a ponytail, which only slightly mitigated its wild look.

On the other side of the pool, Taka had just finished setting up smaller tables for people to sit at, alongside some lounge chairs for people to relax in. Just like Makoto, Taka was wearing nothing but swim trunks, showing off his toned physique.

Soon after, Hiro and Hifumi showed up, both matching Makoto and Taka's wardrobe choices. Hiro took to a lounge chair almost immediately, while Hifumi made his way over to the buffet to begin helping himself.

To his surprise, Mondo showed up, and even more surprising was that his massive protruding pompadour was still in its usual shape.

"Aren't you worried about the water messing that up?" Makoto asked.

"Nah, this thing's practically indestructible!" Mondo explained. "See, watch!" He bowed his head, smacking his hair right on top of Makoto. It bent, bit as soon as he raised his head it moved immediately back into shape.

"Ouch…" Makoto rubbed his head, trying to ease the pain. "I see your point."

"Sorry I'm late."

Makoto turned around to see Kyoko, adorned in a similar one-piece to Hina and Sakura. She still wore her gloves, which went about halfway up her forearms, but she had tied her hair back in a ponytail, save for the braid on her left, which stayed tied in its usual ribbon.

A few seconds passed before Makoto felt Mondo nudge him. "Oh, uh… you look… great, Kyoko!"

"Ah… thank you…" Kyoko said, the slightest hint of red coming through her pale cheek.

The party was finally underway. Hina took to the water almost instantly. Taka took on a lifeguard role, but even he couldn't resist jumping in himself. Everyone else alternated between lounging, the snack bar, and actually swimming.

"Aww man!" Hina whined. "We're out of donuts!"

"Don't worry," Taka said, just getting out of the pool. "I'll go get some more from the warehouse!" He grabbed a towel to dry himself off, and wrapped it around his waist once he was done. With that, he marched out to make his journey to the first floor.

Time passed, and the party kept going strong. Mondo managed to talk Hiro into jumping off of the diving board, creating a huge splash. It then evolved into a diving contest, where the winner would get the remaining cookies from the buffet table. Of course, Hina performed the best so far, but Sakura did manage to give her a run for her money.

"Now!" Hifumi yelled, announcing his position at the top of the diving board. "Watch in amazement as the great Hifumi Yamada performs the greatest cannonball in the history of mankind!"

Makoto couldn't help but laugh. He had almost completely forgotten the situation he was in. Everyone here was having a good time. Even Kyoko seemed to be cutting loose a bit. He looked over and saw her making small talk with Sakura.

He really did admire Kyoko.

"Oh, come on!" Hina yelled, snapping Makoto out of his thoughts. "It's not a cool cannonball unless you do a flip!"

Looking to Hifumi now, he could see that the Ultimate Fanfic Creator was shaking more than before.

"Yeah, don't be a pussy!" Mondo yelled up to him. "Flip!"

Hifumi attempted to back away off of the diving board, but ended up slipping, and falling right into the pool, stomach first.

Everyone winced in pain as Hifumi hissed and groaned.

"Gah… it burns… oh, it burns…"

Sakura and Kyoko quickly pulled him out of the pool, and he began clutching his front in pain.

"That looks bad…" Hina winced.

"He needs ointment," Kyoko stated. "There should be some in the nurse's office."

"I'll take him," Hiro volunteered, helping Hifumi up and dragging him out the door.

"Damn… I feel kinda bad," Mondo said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Yeah, I really hope he's…" Hina began, but she was cut off.

_*Ding dong dong ding!*_

"A body has been discovered! Now then, after a certain amount of time has passed, the Class Trial will begin!"

Everyone immediately went cold.

"Ah… Someone… SOMEONE HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLP!"

"T-that was… Hiro…" Sakura stammered.

"Let's go," Makoto exclaimed. "It sounded like it came from this floor!"

The five hurriedly rushed out of the pool area, and out into the hall.

They quickly found Hifumi, scooting back on the floor as if to get away from something.

Hiro stood near the doorway to the library, paralyzed with fear.

Makoto and Kyoko slowly stepped into the library…

…and immediately regretted it.

Kyoko gritted her teeth.

Makoto screamed, but immediately closed his mouth so he wouldn't vomit.

The sight before them confirmed their worst dreaded suspicions.

The library was, for the most part, moderately clean. Except for the very middle.

In the center of the room, the table was covered in books and folders.

And next to the table, lying cold, unmoving…

…lifeless… dead…

…was none other than Byakuya Togami.

**Author's note: …Well, shit.**

**I'm actually extremely happy with how this chapter turned out. I hope I got to surprise some of you with our second victim. I don't have that much to say in this note, except that next part will be the start of Chapter 2's Deadly Life section!**

**See you guys soon!**

_Students remaining: 12._

_Dead: Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata, Byakuya Togami._


	6. Chapter 2, Part 4

"No… please no…"

Makoto stared down at what remained of the Ultimate Affluent Progeny.

A lifeless body. There used to be fire in his eyes, ambition in his head. Now, it was no more than an empty husk.

He silently thanked the powers that be that his eyes were already closed.

Byakuya really made it hard to like him, there was no doubt about that. He was arrogant, entitled, unsympathetic, and untrustworthy. But at the same time, his ambition and drive were admirable.

And he didn't deserve to die. Never.

Soon enough, people came rushing to the library.

"W… what the…" Taka stammered. His face had gone pale white.

"My goodness…" Celeste covered her mouth, betraying no emotion.

"Shit…" 'Junko' had to grab the wall to stay up.

But one person was being hit harder than any of them.

"No… no no no no no no No NO NO NO NO NONONONONO!"

Toko rushed forward, leaving Mondo and Hiro to restrain her. "M-MASTEEEEERRRR! BYAKUYAAAAAAAA!" she wailed, devolving into ugly sobs. She slipped out of the two boy's grasp and fell to the floor in a heap, her gut-wrenching cries cutting through the air, harmonizing with the scent of blood to create an oppressive atmosphere.

"Isn't this just the best?" Monokuma said, appearing out of nowhere. "Oh poor, poor Byakuya. Well, not poor, more like rich as hell, but you get the idea."

"Get the fuck out," Mondo said, gritting his teeth.

"Fine, fine, I'll get out of your hair," Monokuma began to saunter off. "You guys have a killer to catch, after all! Before I go, I should probably give you these." He produced a stack of files from behind his back. "It's the Monokuma File!"

The bear began passing the file to each student, but when he reached Toko, he simply poked her with the edge. When she simply kept sobbing and didn't respond, he set it on her back.

However, one file still remained.

"Hang on… one of you is missing."

Everyone looked around, taking note of who was and wasn't there.

"It looks like… Miss Fujisaki is missing," Hifumi observed. "Maybe… someone should go get her?"

"I'll do it," 'Junko' said quickly. "I'd… rather not be here now."

"We should begin investigating as soon as possible," Kyoko said. "We still don't know how long Monokuma will give us to check everything."

"Where do we even start?" Hina asked.

"We should take a look at the Monokuma File, yes?" Celeste suggested.

They each opened their obtained file, reading the contents carefully.

_The victim was Byakuya Togami._

_The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the back of the head. He was killed in the library sometime between 12:30 and 1:10. Death was instant. _

When Makoto looked up, Kyoko was already poking and prodding the corpse.

"The description checks out," she explained. "There's a single wound on the back of the skull, and it's consistent with the claim of blunt force." She stood slightly, preparing to turn the body over. "One thing I don't understand is… this."

She pulled Byakuya's body up so that his front could be seen clearly, and everybody saw something silver sticking out of his chest, right at his heart.

"T-that's…" Toko looked like she wanted to vomit.

"A… pair of scissors?" Makoto wasn't faring much better.

"It's… strange, to say the least," Kyoko wondered aloud as she studied the tool. "It's in deep, most likely lodged in his heart."

"Jesus…" Mondo gulped. "He got stabbed like that?"

"Where would you even get these scissors?" Hina asked. "They don't look like anything we have in the kitchen."

"I…" Toko spoke up, looking almost completely dead behind the eyes. "I'm going to my room…" She turned around and left, looking at no one.

"It's weird, but I feel kinda bad for her," Hiro scratched his chin. "She really did like Byakuya…"

"I'll go check on her in a bit," Hina said. "But for now, we should leave her alone."

…

Mukuro knocked on Chihiro's door. Monokuma's announcements were always loud enough to wake everyone every morning. Did Chihiro sleep through the body discovery announcement?

Or… was she…

That possibility was dashed as soon as the Ultimate Programmer opened the door, rubbing her tired eyes.

"Oh… hello, J-Junko…" she said quietly, not expecting her to visit.

"Jeez, how heavy of a sleeper are you?" Mukuro asked, annoyed.

"…s-sorry…" Chihiro apologized. "I was… working on something late last night. Did I miss something?"

Mukuro's face went dark suddenly. "…Byakuya was found in the library. He's dead."

Chihiro covered her mouth in shock, tears already forming in her eyes. "W-what!?"

"Looks like you slept through the body discovery announcement," Mukuro said. "But yeah. The Class Trial's gonna start soon."

"Oh…" Chihiro curled back into her room a bit. "I… don't know anything about what happened. I'm sorry… I'm so useless."

"Hey…" Mukuro wanted to say something. Chihiro had never had a high opinion of herself… especially due to her secret. "Look… you can stay here if you want. Kyoko or Makoto or someone may want to talk to you, so be prepared for that, ok?"

Chihiro nodded, tears still streaming down her face.

The door closed without another word. Mukuro had to admit, she did feel bad for her.

…

Kyoko had finished investigating the body. Aside from the head wound and the scissors lodged in his heart, nothing of note had been apparent. She carefully moved the body back to where it was when they had discovered it.

She quickly shifted the search to the rest of the room. Makoto had volunteered to help her investigate, while Mondo and Sakura agreed to help keep watch of the crime scene. Taka, Hina, Hiro, and Hifumi went to change back into their usual clothes, with Hifumi making a detour to get the lotion he needed for his impact burn.

"What's this doing here?" Makoto murmured to himself. He was bent down, looking at an extension cord that was plugged into nothing.

"Maybe it was used for the lamp," Kyoko offered. "Speaking of, however…" She knelt down on the other side of the table, gesturing toward a lamp, turned onto its side on the ground. Not only that, a few books had fallen onto the floor as well.

"It seems there was a struggle," Kyoko observed. "But the only injuries Byakuya sustained were the stabbing and head wound."

"That brings up another question," Makoto scratched his head. "The blow to the head is what killed him… if that's the case, where's the murder weapon?"

"Either the weapon was cleaned off, or the killer took it with them…" Kyoko pondered.

"Maybe it was the lamp?" Mondo asked, checking the scene for himself.

"I doubt it could have withstood being used to bludgeon someone," Sakura replied. "Perhaps one of the books was used instead?"

Kyoko rummaged through the books and files, before standing back up. "There would have been blood left on it, and I can't find any." She picked up one of the thick binders, showing the cover to everyone else. "This one does have some bending and crumpling on the corner, however…"

"_Genocide Jack_?" Makoto said, reading the cover. "I think I've heard of that somewhere…"

"Ain't that some fuckin' batshit serial killer?" Mondo asked. "What the hell is that doing here?"

Kyoko opened the book, her face brow furrowing at what was inside. Curious, Makoto walked over to peer over her shoulder, letting out a scream at what he saw.

Pictures of dead bodies adorned the pages. A collection of men, completely different in age and occupation, but they were all men, pinned to walls with their arms outstretched. And all throughout their bodies, they had been stabbed with…

"…scissors," Kyoko said grimly. "It appears that these scissors have only been found at Genocide Jack crime scenes, and their existence was only known by investigators." She turned to Byakuya's body. "Yet… they look exactly like the ones stabbed into him."

"Does that mean…" Sakura made a dark realization. "…the real Genocide Jack is among us?"

"I wish I could say that was impossible," Kyoko kept studying the file. "But there doesn't seem to be any other way the killer could have gotten their hands on a pair."

"So Byakuya got killed by Genocide Jack?" Mondo asked. "That means we have our killer, right?"

"It would seem so, but now we have to answer the question…" Kyoko looked up. "Which one of us _is_ Genocide Jack?"

…

The investigation in the library had pretty much wrapped up, and after changing back into their usual clothes, Kyoko decided to check Byakuya's room for any other evidence, although she wouldn't tell Makoto what exactly she was looking for.

Makoto, not wanting to feel useless, decided to go collect alibis. Celeste, Mukuro, and Chihiro all gave the same response: they were resting in their rooms. Toko wouldn't come out at all, but she managed to say that she was in her room the whole time as well.

He then checked the pool area, where Hina, Hiro, and Hifumi were waiting anxiously.

"Hey guys," he greeted. "I'm going around getting alibis, and I need you guys to give me a timeframe for the party."

"I think I've got it," Hina offered, trying to recall the events. "Let's see… we met up at noon, like we said we would, and we all hung out for a while. And… we were all here the entire time."

"Hang on," Makoto remembered something. "Taka left a few minutes before the body was discovered, right?"

"You… you don't really think Mr. Ishimaru did it, do you?" Hifumi pulled at his collar.

"No, no!" Makoto cried, waving his hands in front of his chest. "I'm… I'm just trying to be thorough."

"Let me think…" Hiro cut in. "…Hifumi and I left for the nurse's office at about 1:30, and we found the body immediately after. Taka left… about ten minutes earlier."

"That falls right in the time of Byakuya's death…" Makoto said. "I should ask him about where he was…"

"Ask me what?" Taka asked, walking into the pool area now wearing a fresh school uniform.

"Well…" Makoto rubbed the back of his head. "I wanted to know where you were after you left to get donuts."

"I… simply went to the warehouse, and I looked around for five minutes. That was when the body discovery announcement sounded."

"Ok… did you see anything weird along the way?"

"No," Taka answered. "I didn't see anything."

…

There wasn't much left to investigate. Kyoko's search of Byakuya's room yielded nothing.

"So… you didn't find anything?" Makoto asked.

"Correct… although, that brings up something interesting," Kyoko explained. "No matter where I looked… I couldn't find the secret Byakuya had. It wasn't in his room, and it wasn't anywhere near the body."

"The secret?" Makoto asked. "So you think the secret he had had something to do with the murder?"

"It's certainly likely. Especially since it's gone missing."

"That means someone probably stole it. You think they might be the killer?"

"Possibly, although we can't get too wrapped up in one particular theory. We still have to find out how the Genocide Jack killings play into this," she continued. Suddenly, she pulled the case file out. "By the way, I read more into Genocide Jack's psychological profile."

"Psychological profile?" Makoto looked confused. "What's that?"

"By using the pattern of the killings, along with other aspects such as the scenes themselves, the police can create a profile detailing probable traits the killer possesses. For example, killings are prevalent on weekends on holidays, so it's likely that Genocide Jack is a student. Despite making a clean getaway each time, the killings seem sloppy, as if the killer was afraid after committing the murders. The disparity between the brutal, sadistic killings and the fear afterward may indicate a bipolar or dissociative identity disorder."

"So… if the killer is a student, then it's even more likely Genocide Jack is one of us?"

"The possibility is too great to ignore," Kyoko finished.

_*Ding dong bing bong!*_

"So, um… I'm getting bored," Monokuma appeared on the screens across the entire school. "It's time for the Class Trial! Everyone, please report to the red door on the first floor! I'll be waiting!"

"It's time," Kyoko said. "Are you ready?"

Makoto nodded.

…

Twelve students gathered in front of an elevator.

It was true that Byakuya wasn't particularly well liked by his classmates. But none of them wanted him dead.

That is, all except one.

Many mysteries still hung in the air. Whose secret did Byakuya have? And how did Genocide Jack fit into this case?

But one thing was for sure. They had to find out who killed Byakuya. If they didn't, they were all doomed.

They stepped into the elevator, which closed behind them.

The elevator went down… further and further…

As they descended, the students' dread only grew.

_*Ding!_*

The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.

Opened to a new, deadly Class Trial.

**Author's Note: Here we go with the first full Class Trial of A Single Life Spared! So, who killed our long-leg rich boi? Read the next chapter to find out!**

**Also, as of today, I'm OFFICIALLY DONE WITH HIGH SCHOOL! FINALLY! It's been an… interesting four years, to say the least. Well, I'm excited to get as much of this story done before I start college this fall.**

**See you all next time!**

_Students remaining: 12_

_Dead: Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata, Byakuya Togami._


End file.
